Move to allow refugees to appeal ASIO findings

The Greens will move a bill in Parliament today to challenge the way ASIO conducts security assessments which often see refugees stuck in detention with no hope of release.

A growing number of refugees have found themselves stuck in legal limbo, granted protection in Australia only to be banned by ASIO for posing a security risk.

ASIO does not provide reasons for its rulings and for non-citizens there is no right of appeal against the merits of a decision.

There are now 51 refugees, including six children, in indefinite detention with no right of appeal.

'Bonus' is a Tamil refugee who fled Sri Lanka's civil war and was granted refugee status in Australia.

But he has told ABC1's 7:30 how a negative security assessment from ASIO means he cannot be released from Sydney's Villawood detention centre.

"I'm extremely depressed and I'm also having a lot of health issues. For two months I have been hearing noises in my ear. It's like a ringing noise and in the past few days I've been hearing voices and I'm having hallucinations," he said.

He has now been in detention for three years and he says he does not know why ASIO has ruled against him.

"I have no idea and they haven't given me a reason. None of my family members are in the LTTE [Tamil Tigers]. I didn't have direct or indirect contact with the LTTE," he said.

The Tamil community speculates that the adverse assessments relate to possible links with the LTTE.

Today the Greens will move a private member's bill to grant non-citizens a right of review of negative ASIO assessments by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.